Getting to Utila

Getting to Utila is Easier than You Thought!

When it comes to most islands in the World, getting to them can be tricky and difficult. Fortunately for you, getting to Utila is really quite easy!

There are basically three different hubs you need to get to in order to set your plan for getting to Utila. La Ceiba, Roatan or San Pedro Sula. By far, the most used and most affordable alternative is to use La Ceiba as your hub. La Ceiba is actually the gateway to the Bay Islands, and it is really quite easy to get to La Ceiba. There is regular bus service from just about anywhere in Honduras to La Ceiba. There is also an airport with daily scheduled flights from Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. This provides easy affordable access to La Ceiba.

From La Ceiba, there are two different alternatives. You can either take a short five minute flight or you can take the two ferry that operates regularly. Personally, I believe the best option is the latter, as the ferry boat always leave on time. You do not need to arrive one hour ahead of the departure time. Also, when you get to the island you are already right down town. This means that you are within walking distance of just about anywhere in town. If you fly, you will need to get a taxi as there is a total of 4 km distance between town and the airport.

The airline offering regularly scheduled service to Utila is Sosa Airlines, and you can book your ticket in advance over the net. There are two local charter airlines in Utila that offer services, Island Air and Utila Air. These operate on a charter basis. Sometimes you can buy an affordable seat if you can accommodate to the time and the date the plane will be flying.

The ferry service is the most reliable form of transportation to the island. There are currently two different ferry boats operating. The Utila Princess, which is the company that has been long established, operates twice a day, with a morning and afternoon departure. The new, Utila Dream offers a state of the art, brand new waterjet catamaran, which is larger and faster than the Utila Princess and does the passage in about 15 minutes less time than the Utila Princess. The Utila Ferry war is officially over, and only the Utila Dream is providing service between La Ceiba and Utila. Keep in mind that the ferry services are passenger only, they do not take cars or heavy cargo with them. The Utila Dream is also operating three times a week between Roatan and Utila.

If you opt for the other hubs, you can use San Pedro Sula, where Sosa Airlines and CM Airlines both offer non stop air service between San Pedro Sula and Utila on the weekends. Keep in mind that the service does not operate on weekdays. Both previously mentioned local charter airlines also offer charter service from Utila to San Pedro Sula.

Last, but not least is Roatan. Roatan has the advantage of direct international air service. As of March 3rd, 2016, the Utila Dream is offering direct service between Roatan and Utila. Departures are from the Coconut Tree dock at West End, Roatan. Service operates three times a week, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Departures from Roatan at 2:00 p.m. with a short travel time of only 40 minutes. Service between Utila and Roatan departs at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday and Saturday also. This new alternative offers a great new way of getting to Utila easy and fast!

Alternately, you can take the ferry from Roatan to La Ceiba and then change to the ferry from La Ceiba to Utila, the total time will be around 3:30 minutes, or you can always use the charter service mentioned above and have a pilot pick you up at Roatan Airport and provide a quick 10 minute flight if you are willing to charter the plane.

One of the greatest bars and restaurants in Utila has ceased to exist. As a matter of fact, it pretty much died when its founder, Lee Odelein passed away a few months ago. Rehab Bar came to be under the direction of Lee. He was a friendly, charismatic fellow who knew how to run a restaurant bar.

Travel between Roatan and Utila used to be nuisance. With no regular service scheduled between the islands, you had to travel to La Ceiba and then backtrack to the other island. Fortunately, that is all part of the past.. The Utila Dream Ferry Service now operates daily between both islands.

This week I was in Utila. I needed to run some errands and hired one of the local “tuk tuks” or motorcycle taxis. These are three wheel motorcycles made in India. They are ideal for Utila, because they are narrow and fit well in the local pedestrian streets. So I flagged this taxi, negotiated the […]

I guess I am a born explorer. Perhaps not your Indiana Jones adventurer going way off the beaten path to follow a quest. But I am one to take a turn on the road and see where it leads. Today while in Roatan, I did just that, and went down a steep road following a sign that said “Ibagari”.

Since I live in La Ceiba, travel to Roatan is easy. I have two options: I can fly or take the ferry. When I first moved to Honduras, I could only fly, as there was still no ferry service available. Fortunately, we now have a state of the art ferry that is efficient, safe and fast!

Also known as the “Cave of the Glowing Skulls” these unique caves are near Catacamas. Catacamas is one of the two important cities in Olancho, Honduras. The find was unique, as the caves served as a ceremonial burial ground for an ancient civilization. Olancho is officially outside the Mesoamerican region.

Olancho is a department in Honduras. It is the largest department in the country and is even bigger than El Salvador. For most travelers, Olancho is way off the beaten track. I must confess, it had been a good 15 years since I visited Olancho. I took advantage of a trip to Tegucigalpa last week […]